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Compare Prices on Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruises

OASIS PRE-CHRISTMAS 5 NIGHT SAILING Dec. 18th- 23

Sail Date:
December 2010

Destination:
Western Caribbean

Embarkation:
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

First off, my husband and I are in our early 40's. We went without the kids. This is our 11th cruise, but our first with RCCL. Its always funny how people on the same sailing have different experiences. Personally I loved Oasis. I have minor nit picks, but no complaints. This ship is truly spectacular.

Embarkation was a breeze, in fact, it was the easiest and most well organized of all of my sailings. I did not pre-book any shows, so once onboard I was directed to Studio B. I chose all of my shows and times and got everything I asked for at the times I wanted. It took about 20 minutes. Easy!

The Royal Promenade is beautiful. It doesn't seem like a cruise ship, more like an upscale mall. Here is my minor nit pick. No portholes. Unless you are up on deck you do not realize that you are at sea.

I had an inside cabin. It was a decent size with a decent layout. But there are no drawers. That was weird. It was fine for 2 ppl but if I had anyone else in my cabin More
it would be difficult to store all of the clothes. Next time when I bring my kids I am packing the hanging shelf for the closet for extra storage. Also, bring a clock! you will never know what time it is unless you turn on your tv and scroll around. I bought a light up watch onboard for 10 bucks. Best 10 bucks I ever spent.

Food- we ate in the MDR and Windjammer every night. We didn't do the pay restaurants. Most dinners were delicious. The service was good but certainly nothing like Disney. I don't think any cruise line can compare to the service of Disney. That said, Oasis MDR was still very good. The Windjammer buffet was never crowded. I sailed Carnival Dream last year and that buffet was a nightmare. So was NCL Pearl. RCCL did a great job with the flow of all of the passengers. There were many great choices and probably the best buffet of all of the cruises I have taken. I mean, how good can a buffet be? None of them are 5 star, but still very good with lots of choices.

I agree with another review, skip the red velvet cupcake. Its not real red velvet. Just a lot of red dye and cream cheese.

I don't understand why people pay for Johnny Rockets unless they are dying for a milkshake. The burgers and hot dogs are free upstairs. But to each his own.

What I really enjoyed (but my waistline didn't) was the Royal Promenade's pastries and the little kiosks all over that sell fancy coffee, but the desserts and little sandwiches are free. I had some great cakes when I wasn't even hungry but they looked so darn good. Central Park cafe had some nice snacks too. Especially the roast beef sandwiches (its the carved stuff, hot, with au ju and horseradish)

Sorrentos was not great pizza, but my kids will love it. It was good enough. BTW I liked the kiwi strawberry lemonade. It was my drink of choice on the ship.

Entertainment was great. The aqua show was my favorite. The artist at the skating show stole the show. The dancers and gymnasts were very good. The comedians were hit and miss. One was bad, the other one was hysterical. Singers were hit and miss also. Paul, the piano man was awesome. Sadly I didn't find him until day 4. He is shy and doesn't solicit tips like other piano sing alongs. I encouraged him to put out a tip glass and it was pretty darn full later on. I guess the shy talented approach is much better than the obnoxious piano bar on Carnival where the player only cared about filling his tip glass.

Cozumel is a great port. I love the snorkeling and the shopping. We always stop for our booze in this port. We went to the supermarket and I couldn't believe how cheap it was!

Nassau- been there done it too many times. Most people hate it but I like the beaches. Atlantis is not worth the price but there are many other beaches with beautiful water. SO its still worth getting off the ship even though its not my favorite port.

Oasis is worth the money. There is lots of fun to be had. They don't have a ton of activities planned and no screaming nightlife but there are so many amenities on the ship that you will never be bored. And you will certainly never go hungry.

BTW the face painter and balloon twisters were amazing. It was all free. There are so many nice touches this ship has to offer. Its truly the best ship I have ever sailed. I love certain things about each and every cruise I have sailed and I can have fun on any ship. Even the old ugly ones if the food is good and the entertainment is fun. And the pretty ships where the food isn't good. I can find the fun. But Oasis seemed to have almost everything perfected. I am a big fan and I am already booked for next year on Allure. I can't wait to bring the kids. And our cruise director, Alan, was by far the best and most entertaining guy I have ever had to pleasure to sail with. He should be a stand up comedian. And he looks good half naked at the street party on the last night ...

Port and Shore Excursions

Cozumel: we did an snorkel glass bottom boat ride on our own from the guys standing at the pier. It is our 2nd time doing the same thing. They ask 45.00 but you can get it for 35. each and less for kids. Its a 2 hr trip with a guide helping you snorkel and feeding the fish so they come around. They offer beer and soda as well. Its not as much fun if you don't jump in. The glass bottom is small. Afterwards we went shopping at the downtown area where the smaller ships dock. There is a lot down there. And the supermarket has booze so cheap its almost free. I paid 6.00 for a giant bottle of vodka and a side kick of a mixer. And the further you walk away from the cruise pier, the cheaper the prices get.

Nassua: I like the beaches in Nassau. Its not my favorite port and I dislike the straw market immensely. Its dirty and gross. That said, the water and sand are truly beautiful. Find a nice beach, don't stay on the ship. The Caribbean is beautiful.